Wardrobe.



Patented Apr. l5, I902.

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A. BARNEY.

WARDROBE. (Application filed Dec. 2 1901.1

2 Sheets-Sheet i.

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Patented Apr. [5, I902.

A. P. BARNEY.

WARDROBE, (Application filed Dec. 2, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Modal.)

x h k m k 24m 5% mm m MN m \uw R Q NITE STATES ALICE P. BARNEY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WARDROBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,778, dated April 15, 1902.

Application filed December 2, 1901. Serial No. 84,468. (No model.)

have invented an Improvement in Wardrobes,

of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to devise a wardrobe convenient and accessible and at the same time out of the way and in small and confined quarters not taking up room required for comfort or for other articles of furniture.

My invention relates to an improvement in wardrobes to be built against the ceiling of a room, and thereby to utilize the upper and heretofore unoccupied part of the room and at the same time form a finish and the appearance of a paneled wood ceiling.

I prefer to provide an inverted-T supportin g-beam placed transversely of the room and supported in and by the side walls and to fit the room with a wooden frame parallel with the ceiling surrounding the room and forming a border to the wardrobe devices, which are hinged to andsupported by the said beam and which fit up against the said frame and the ends of which opposite to the hinges are connected to said frame by a suitable supporting device. I prefer to provide the wardrobes with channels in the sides receiving channel-bars and to connect the channel-bars to the hinges and also to spring devices, the wardrobes being longitudinally movable upon said channel-bars, so that they slide thereon as they are brought down from the ceiling,

their lower ends advantageously resting upon the floor, where the Wardrobes are accessible, and I prefer, further, to employ devices connected to the sides of the wardrobes and engaging with the ends of the channel-bars by which the wardrobes can be moved upward and longitudinally of the channel-bars previous to their being swung to place in the coiling-frame, all of which devices are hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an inverted plan representing my improvement in Wardrobes for ceilings. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a partial elevation and vertical longitudinal section representing by dotted lines the wardrobe as being raised or lowered. Fig. 4 is a partial transverse 'section at a: a; of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a partial transverse section at y y of Fig. 3.

The inverted-T bar a, forming the main support for the wardrobes, is advantageously secured at its respective ends in and by the side walls of a room, the same being connected in' any workmanlike manner.

I) represents the parts forming a frame of boards arranged parallel with the ceiling around within the room and longitudinally and transversely through and across the room to provide for and conform to the four ward robes c, (illustrated in Fig. 1,) the transverse member of the frame being connected to the under side of the beam 1) and the other parts of the frame being advantageously secured at intervals to the side walls by angle-irons 2, so that the said wooden frame is amply supported.

0 represents the wardrobes, that are alike and each comprising sides 3, ends 4, and a bottom portion 5, which latter on the under surface is paneled in any ornamental design or configuration to impart the appearance of a paneled wooden ceiling and which bottom portion is of slightly-greater area than the openings in the frame I), so as to overlap the same and conceal the joint. I prefer to make the frame slightly smaller than the room and to place beneath the frame around the room a picture-molding to impart a further finish.

I provide undercut channels or slideways of metal 6, let into the outer faces of the sides 3 of the wardrobes, made flush therewith and secured thereto in any desired manner-such, for instance, as by screws. (Shown in Figs. 3 and 4..) These slideways are made with end enlargements. The channel-bars cl, of corresponding shape in cross-section with the undercut slideways 6, are received therein, and said channel bars are each made with a T-head member or end d and with a hub and hinge-pin, which form part of the connectinghinges, the other parts comprising eyes and straps 7, connected to the beam at and engaging the hinge-pins upon the T-head members d, and by these means the wardrobes are pivotally connected to the supporting-beam a, and they are movable longitudinally of and upon the channel-bars d. I further provide brackets 8, secured to the beam a and each having two parts or plates with a transverse square pin and between which parts a spring 9 is received, with the inner convolution connected to the transverse pin and the end of the outer convolution connected to a pin on the end of the member d distant from the hinge. These brackets and spring devices are all alike, and it will be apparent that when the channel-bars and their transverse members move downward upon the hinges the springs are strained and their natural tendency is to elevate the parts and return them to their normal position.

In the enlarged portions of the undercut channels 6 of each wardrobe I provide drums 10, with ratchet-and-pawl devices upon the respective ends of the shaft 11, that passes transversely across the free end of the Wardrobe, one or both ends of said shaft being squared to receive the hub of a rotating handle, and said drums are connected by steel tapes or chains 13 with the adjacent ends of the channel-bars (Z, so that presuming the wardrobe occupies the dotted position, Fig. 3, or a lower position and is ready to be elevated the shaft 11, with the drums, is rotated by means of the handle, andthe steel tapes are wound upon the drums, drawing the wardrobe upward and longitudinally of the channel-bars, and when the upper end of the wardrobe comes adjacent to the T-head members d of the channel-bars the wardrobe may be pushed into the opening formed in the frame I), and a hand-operated and hook-ended bolt e,provided for the purpose,may be turned into the position Figs. 2 and 3, so as to engage the adjacent edge of the Wooden frame and support the wardrobe in place.

1 prefer and have shown by dotted lines,Fig. 3, that a metal plate may be let into the upper surface of the frame I) to form a bearing for the hook end of the bolt 6, so that the weight of the wardrobe will not injure the wooden frame.

I claim as my invent-ion 1. The combination withasupporting-beam placed transversely of a room and secured to the walls thereof adjacent to the ceiling, a frame extending around the room and located adjacent to the ceiling, and means for securing the same in place, of a wardrobe device or receptacle comprising sides, ends and a bottom portion, and fitting within the space bounded by said beam and frame hinges for connecting the wardrobe device at one end to the supporting-beam, and means connected to the other end and engaging the said frame for supporting the wardrobe in a horizontal position at the end opposite to the hinges, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with asupporting-beam placed transversely of a room and secured to the walls thereof adjacent to the ceiling, a frame extending around the room and located adjacent to the ceiling, and means for securing the same in place, of a wardrobe device or receptacle comprising sides, ends and a bottom portion, hinges for connecting the same at one end to the supporting-beam, means connected to the other end and engaging the said frame for supporting the wardrobe at the end opposite to the hinges, and spring devices assisting in returning the wardrobe device to and supporting the same in a normally horizontal position, substantially as set forth.

3. Thecombinationwithasupporting-beam placed transversely of a room and secured to the walls thereof adjacent to the ceiling, a frame extending around the room and located adjacent to the ceiling, and means for securing the same in place, of a wardrobe device or receptacle comprising sides, ends and a bottom portion, hinges for connecting the same at one end to the supporting-beam, means connected to the other end and engaging the said frame for supporting the wardrobe at the end opposite to the hinges, spring devices assisting in returning the wardrobe device to and supporting the same in a normally horizontal position, and means for imparting to the wardrobe or receptacle a longitudinal movement simultaneous with the swinging movement, substantially as set forth.

4. A wardrobe device adapted to fit up against the under side of the ceiling of a room, comprising a supporting-beam secured in place, a frame surrounding the sides of the room and occupying a position parallel with the ceiling, one or more wardrobe-receptacles fitting within the frame, and devices for hinging the same at one end to the means of support and at the other end for removably connecting the same to the frame, whereby the under surfaces of the wardrobe devices and the frame form a substitute for the ceiling, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with an inverted -T supporting-beam placed centrally and transversely of a room and at its ends connected to and supported by the side walls, of a frame of boards parallel with the ceiling fitting within the room and coming below the said beam, means for supporting the said frame in place, wardrobe devices or receptacles each comprising sides, ends and bottom portions paneled, undercut channels or slideways in the outer faces of the sides, channel-bars received therein and provided with T-head members at one end, hinges connecting said members at one end with the inverted supporting-beam, spring devices connected to said beam and also to the other ends of said T-head members, means secured to the other ends of the wardrobe devices and connecting with the free ends of the channel-bars for longitudinally moving the wardrobe devices with reference to the channel-bars whereby said wardrobe devices may swing downward and also longitudinally of the channel-bars and may be returned to place and means for suitably supporting the wardrobe devices with reference to the frame, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with an inverted T supporting-beam placed centrally and transversely 01" a room and at its ends connected to and supported by the side walls, of a frame of boards parallel with the ceiling fitting Within the room, and coming below the said beam, means for supporting the said frame in place, Wardrobe devices or receptacles each comprising sides, ends and bottom portions paneled, undercut channels or slideways in the outer faces of the sides, channel-bars received therein and provided with T-head members at one end, hinges connecting said members at one end with the inverted supporting-beam, spring devices connected to said beam and also to the other ends of said T- head members, a shaft placed transversely of the wardrobe device at the oppositecnd and drums on the ends of said shaft, steel tapes or equivalent devices connected at one end to the free ends of the channel-bars and at their other ends to said'drums, means for rotatingthe said shaft and drums and 1101(1- ing the same in position, and a device connected to the wardrobe structure and adapted to engage the frame when the wardrobe is elevated to position, substantiallyas set forth.

Signed by me this 31st day of October, 1901.

ALICE P. BARNEY.

Witnesses:

A. C. BARNEY, EWELL A. DICK. 

